National parks closest to Chesterfield County, VA

After the hottest summer on record, it's a wonderful time to hit the great outdoors.

The United States is home to 63 national parks, from Yellowstone National Park to New River Gorge National Park and Preserve in West Virginia. The former, located in Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana, became the world's first national park in 1872 and includes 10,000 hydrothermal features; the latter is the newest national park and hosts the longest steel arch span in the Western Hemisphere. So, the country's park system encompasses something for everyone.

It's not surprising then that these scenic getaways have drawn millions of travelers every year. The National Park Service reported just shy of 312 million recreational visits last year, the most since 2019. Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina and Tennessee was by far the most popular national park, with 12.9 million visits. Grand Canyon (Arizona), Zion (Utah), Rocky Mountain (Colorado), and Acadia (Maine) rounded out the top five.

For park enthusiasts, more good news looks to be on the way. Congress is expected to add Georgia's Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park as the nation's 64th crown jewel before the end of the year. It'd be the first national park co-managed by a tribal group that was forcibly removed from its land and the first national park in Georgia. But others—including perhaps the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, Alaska's Tongass National Forest, and Chiricahua National Monument in Arizona—are vying for the honor.

Wondering where to go next that's not too far from home? Stacker compiled a list of the national parks closest to Chesterfield County. Straight line distance from Chesterfield County to each national park was used to determine the ranking. County coordinates from the Census Bureau and national park coordinates from NPS were used in the calculation.

When planning your next adventure, know your limits before you go, and check whether the park has regulations or requires permits or reservations. Create backup and emergency plans, and be aware of your surroundings when you arrive. NPS asks visitors to stay within designated areas, watch wildlife responsibly, and keep safety in mind. Animals should not be approached, harassed, touched, or fed, and children and pets must be supervised closely.

You may also like: How personal income has changed in Chesterfield County, Virginia

SL-Photography // Shutterstock

1 / 25

#25. Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park (Colorado)

- Distance: 1,640 miles
- Park area: 30,779.83 acres

ShuPhoto // Shutterstock

2 / 25

#24. Guadalupe Mountains National Park (Texas)

- Distance: 1,594 miles
- Park area: 86,367.10 acres

Eric Foltz // Shutterstock

3 / 25

#23. Big Bend National Park (Texas)

- Distance: 1,578 miles
- Park area: 801,163.21 acres

Doug Meek // Shutterstock

4 / 25

#22. Carlsbad Caverns National Park (New Mexico)

- Distance: 1,570 miles
- Park area: 46,766.45 acres

Kris Wiktor // Shutterstock

5 / 25

#21. Great Sand Dunes National Park (Colorado)

- Distance: 1,532 miles
- Park area: 107,341.87 acres

You may also like: How gas prices have changed in Chesterfield County, Virginia in the last week

Sean Pavone // Shutterstock

6 / 25

#20. Virgin Islands National Park (U.S. Virgin Islands)

- Distance: 1,525 miles
- Park area: 15,052.53 acres

Anna Krivitskaya // Shutterstock

7 / 25

#19. Rocky Mountain National Park (Colorado)

- Distance: 1,523 miles
- Park area: 265,807.25 acres

Laurens Hoddenbagh // Shutterstock

8 / 25

#18. Theodore Roosevelt National Park (North Dakota)

- Distance: 1,478 miles
- Park area: 70,446.89 acres

Zack Frank // Shutterstock

9 / 25

#17. Wind Cave National Park (South Dakota)

- Distance: 1,421 miles
- Park area: 33,970.84 acres

Matt Ragen // Shutterstock

10 / 25

#16. Badlands National Park (South Dakota)

- Distance: 1,375 miles
- Park area: 242,755.94 acres

You may also like: Here's how much snow Chesterfield County, Virginia received in January

BlueBarronPhoto // Shutterstock

11 / 25

#15. Voyageurs National Park (Minnesota)

- Distance: 1,085 miles
- Park area: 218,222.35 acres

Canva

12 / 25

#14. Dry Tortugas National Park (Florida)

- Distance: 932 miles
- Park area: 64,701.22 acres

Canva

13 / 25

#13. Isle Royale National Park (Michigan)

- Distance: 929 miles
- Park area: 571,790.30 acres

Zack Frank // Shutterstock

14 / 25

#12. Hot Springs National Park (Arkansas)

- Distance: 889 miles
- Park area: 5,554.15 acres

Simon Dannhauer // Shutterstock

15 / 25

#11. Everglades National Park (Florida)

- Distance: 850 miles
- Park area: 1,508,938.57 acres

You may also like: Chesterfield County, VA monthly unemployment update

Canva

16 / 25

#10. Biscayne National Park (Florida)

- Distance: 833 miles
- Park area: 172,971.11 acres

Paul Brady Photography // Shutterstock

17 / 25

#9. Gateway Arch National Park (Missouri)

- Distance: 693 miles
- Park area: 192.83 acres

Romiana Lee // Shutterstock

18 / 25

#8. Acadia National Park (Maine)

- Distance: 688 miles
- Park area: 49,076.63 acres

Delmas Lehman // Shutterstock

19 / 25

#7. Indiana Dunes National Park (Indiana)

- Distance: 587 miles
- Park area: 15,349.08 acres

Wangkun Jia // Shutterstock

20 / 25

#6. Mammoth Cave National Park (Kentucky)

- Distance: 471 miles
- Park area: 54,011.91 acres

You may also like: Here's how unemployment in Chesterfield County, Virginia compares

Canva

21 / 25

#5. Great Smoky Mountains National Park (North Carolina, Tennessee)

- Distance: 352 miles
- Park area: 522,426.88 acres

Zack Frank // Shutterstock

22 / 25

#4. Cuyahoga Valley National Park (Ohio)

- Distance: 342 miles
- Park area: 32,571.88 acres

Canva

23 / 25

#3. Congaree National Park (South Carolina)

- Distance: 305 miles
- Park area: 26,476.47 acres

Steve Heap // Shutterstock

24 / 25

#2. New River Gorge National Park (West Virginia)

- Distance: 190 miles
- Park area: 7,021 acres

Jon Bilous // Shutterstock

25 / 25

#1. Shenandoah National Park (Virginia)

- Distance: 91 miles
- Park area: 199,223.77 acres

This story features data reporting by Karim Noorani, writing by Mike Taylor, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 3,119 counties.

You may also like: Warmest and coldest Februaries in Chesterfield County, Virginia history